KOLKATA: For Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi "human rights is a package....a way of seeing the world, a culture, which cannot "be imposed with cluster bombs" and brought to countries "in tanks".

"The world is turning into a unified village. We can see that in finance borders are eliminated. But when it comes to humanity the borders are still intact."

"And the problem is here. What needs to be globalised is human rights", the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, said in conversation with a select media group here on Thursday.

Known for her crusade on human rights, Ms. Ebadi, who practises law in her country Iran where she "magically" escaped two assassination attempts, is particularly critical of the U.S.-sponsored "war on terrorism" and its effect on human rights.

Violence always brings violence

"Violence always brings violence."

"Have we found the roots of terrorism?" she asks.

"Unfortunately today fighting terrorism has become a pretext to violate human rights."

"And states use national security to increase their power and control of the people."

"None of this will reduce terrorism," Ms. Ebadi who is on a brief visit to the city observed.

Has it been reduced?

"Under that pretext of fighting terrorism America invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Has it been reduced?"

"Unfortunately it is only augmenting and increasing by the day. This can only mean that they have forgotten addressing the roots [of terrorism] and focusing on the end results... ." she said.

"We need to fight terrorism at its roots. Humanity is now on a boat. Everyone's fate is inter-related."

Not the answer

"Controlling the lives of citizens, listening in to their phone conversations, interfering with the private lives of people and limiting social and individual freedoms is not the answer.

Human rights are inextricably linked with the question of democracy.

"Today the U.S. claims it is in Iraq because it wants to put democracy on the pole. There is no question that Saddam [Hussein] was a dictator but my question is, was Saddam the only dictator in the world? Unfortunately we have many."

Iraq oil can be found

"The difference was that in Iraq oil can be found and in many other places it cannot."

She is both "against the forced wearing of the hejab as well against forcing women not to wear it... .women's rights, according to a famous saying, are human rights."

"All the limitations have always been imposed on women, men are free to wear whatever they want to — whether in Islamic countries or western countries, it always depends on who benefits from such impositions."

As for her views on the Shariat, "we need an interpretation of Islam which complies with human rights."

Has the Nobel Prize changed her life?

"An award does not change one's personality. It has only increased my work. I still go to court, I still cook... Of course many doors have opened in the international arena and I am able to bring my voice to a lot many people" Ms. Ebadi, who has almost completed her next book on "fighting poverty."

"But I always wish that a day would be made up of 48 hours. The reason is, I have many thoughts that I can't find time to put down on paper."

To her a writer "does not write anything, it is the pen which does the writing." "I must abide by the pen and see where it takes me," she says. Her last book titled `Iran Awakening; A Memoir of Revolution and Hope' has been translated into 18 languages.

The Nobel Peace Prize this year is awarded to a woman, a woman from Iran, a country where the majority practice the muslim faith in the Middle East.

This award given to me will inspire the masses of women, not only in Iran but also throughout the larger, surrounding geographical area — women who strive to realize their rights, rights that have been taken away from them as time has past.

Patriarchal cultures

My being selected as a Peace Prize winner will allow women in Iran, and those much further from the borders of my country, a greater freedom to believe in themselves. Women make up half of the population of every country. By disregarding women and baring them from active participation in political, social, economic and cultural life is de facto depriving the entire population of society of half of its capability. Patriarchal cultures that encourage discrimination against women, cultural traits that today are more observable in the Islamic countries, cannot continue forever.

For all those who love freedom, who seek peace and humanitarian goals, whether they are women or men, the honour of this prize makes a strong, immediate impression and will bring blessings both on the endeavours of the people of Iran and on the greater area.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Today is the 55th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a declaration that starts with a recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights that all members of the human family should have.

It promises a world in which human beings may enjoy freedoms of expression and opinions, and a world where human beings shall be safeguarded and protected against fear and poverty. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights acts as the embodiment and surety of freedom, justice and peace.

Unfortunately, the report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this year, as in the previous years, is far from the ideals of the authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1.2 billion people today live in poverty. In 2002 almost 1.2 billion human beings earned less than one dollar a day.

In 2002 more than 50 countries were either engaged in war or were suffering from large natural disasters. AIDS, has to date claimed the lives of 22 million individuals, a loss of life which has created 13 million orphan children.

States using violence

We have also seen at the same time certain states using the violence of the activities of September 11, 2001 as an excuse to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its laws and principals. The professed purpose being a war on international terrorism.

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/219, of 18 December 2002, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1456, of 20 January 2003, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2003/68, of 25 April 2003, explicitly state that all nations must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorist activity comply with all obligations under international law, in particular international human rights and humanitarian law.

Instead we see special bodies and extraordinary courts; we see regulations restricting human rights and basic freedoms. These regulations are both justified and given legitimacy under the banner of the war on terrorism.

These special bodies and extraordinary courts make all seen adjudication, consistent with law and lawful rules and logic, difficult and at times impossible. All of this is given legitimacy in the name of a war on terrorism.

Human rights laws violated in Western democracies

When international human rights laws are violated in the instances of recognized opponents — opponents who believe that a culture can only be truly elevated by their own standards and not by any common criteria — there is apprehension by human rights' advocates.

But this apprehension increases when international human rights laws are seen to be violated in Western democracies, in countries that were themselves among the initial codifiers of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For months, hundreds of individuals arrested in the course of military conflicts — imprisoned in Guantanamo — have been held without the benefit of rights stipulated under the international Geneva conventions, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Why are certain decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council considered binding, while others not?

For the past number of years, there has been a question which millions of citizens in the international civil society have been asking themselves. This question they continue to ask, particularly in recent months. Why are certain decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council considered binding, while other equal resolutions of the council considered to have no such binding force?

Why have dozens of UN resolutions pertaining to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the state of Israel — resolutions past over the past 35 years — not been implemented, or have not been implemented correctly?

Concerning the state and people of Iraq however, we have seen — in the past 12 years — that only one recommendation of the Security Council brought immediate action, action that included sustained economic sanctions.

We have seen in this past year that even when the UN Security Council were opposed to the measure brought before it, even despite this, that the country has been subjected to military assault and military occupation.

I am Iranian. I am a descendent of Cyrus The Great. The very emperor who proclaimed at the pinnacle of his power 2500 years ago that he would not reign over the people if they did not wish it. He made the promise not to force any person to change either his religion or faith. He guaranteed freedom for all.

The grant from the sovereign, announced officially and publicly by Cyrus the Great, is one of the most important documents that should be studied in the history of human rights.

Advent of Islam

I am a Muslim. In the teaching of the Holy Qur'an, the Prophet of Islam has been illustrated as saying: “You shall believe in your faith as I believe in my religion.”

The Holy Qur'an considers the mission of all prophets as a mission to ask all people to uphold justice.

The advent of Islam into the culture of Iran has been marked by progress in the arts and sciences, and in the complex political and social institutions.

It has seen great Iranian literature, in particular our literature from Hafez, from the beloved Maulana Jalalu’ddin Rumi, our literature from Fariduddin Attar, from Saadi Shirazi, Sanaei, Nasir Khusraw and Nizami Ganjawi.

These are all emissaries of our humanitarian culture. Their message embodies itself in the poem by Saadi:

The sons of Adam act as limbs to each other, having been created from one center.
When the misfortune of an era harms one such limb, the others cannot continue to rest.

For more than a hundred years, the Iranian people have been following, each after another, the opposing forces of tradition and modernity.

Caravan of civilization

Seeking the values of former times, some are trying to administer the problems they face today by the values used by ancient forefathers.

But, many others, while still respecting historical and cultural beginnings, and the religion and faith, seek to be a part of a moving caravan of civilization, to be a part of modern development and progress.

Consistent with this the Iranian people, particularly in the recent years, have sought to participate in government. In this participation they consider devotion to the public welfare to be the right of all. They also wish to be masters of their own destiny.

People aware of their rights cannot easily be beaten down

Such conflicting forces can be observed in many Muslim states, not merely in Iran. There are Muslims who say Islamic teachings, and the present traditional structure of Islamic societies, are not compatible with democracy. By this they excuse despotic governments.

The reality is that a people who are aware of their rights cannot easily be beaten down by the use of patriarchal and paternalistic custom.

Note that Islam is a religion where the first expression of thought to the Prophet began with the word “Relate.”

The Holy Book swears by the pen and what is written upon its pages. Such an expression is not in conflict with our diverse understandings, our varied components of awareness, of knowledge, of wisdom, and our wish for the freedom to have an opinion and a statement.

Patriarchal and male-dominated accepted behavior

Islam does not preach discrimination against women. All too often in the arena of civil law, in the province of social, political and cultural justice, it is the patriarchal and male-dominated accepted behavior patterns that achieves success in Islamic states.

It cannot accept the concept of equal rights for men and women, nor the ridding of women from male authority (fathers, husbands, brothers, etc), for to do so threatens the historical and traditional position held by the rulers and guardians of this patriarchal culture.

We need to say to these that if you believe in the precedence and higher value of parliamentary democracy above other political systems, then you cannot think only of your own security and comfort, selfishly and despicably.

If you consider international human rights laws, including a nations' right to decide their own course of action, to be universal, then you can no longer allow the stagnation of policies that prevail in this region.

A journey we are taking

The enjoyment of human rights and democracy in this region is a journey we are taking, and, while maintaining political independence and territorial integrity of each respective country, we in this region must seek, with top priority given by the United Nations with respect to future occurrence that involve international relations, to search for new ideas to enable us to continue to proceede upon this journey.

I am inspired by winning the Nobel Peace Prize of 2003, as the first Iranian, and as the first woman from a Muslim country.

Millions of Iranians and peoples of the nations of Islamic states are encouraged and urged forward toward the realization of human rights and the establishment of democracy in their respective countries by the decision of the Nobel Peace Committee.

They see this as the support and backing and solidarity of international civil society. This prize belongs to the people of Iran. It belongs to the people of the Islamic states, and to the people of the whole area as a beacon for establishing human rights and democracy.

Human rights, surety for freedom

Human rights acts as the surety for freedom, for justice and for peace. If human rights fail, if that which is stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in its preamble, fails to be manifested in codified laws, or placed into a condition of power by states, then human beings are left with no choice but to stage a rebellion, to make warfare against tyranny and oppression.

If the 21st century wishes to free itself from the cycle of violence, from acts of terror and war, if the world wishes to avoid a repetition of the experience of the 20th century — a most destructive, catastrophic-ridden century of humankind — then there is no other way but human rights.

A person who has been shorn of all dignity, a human who has been deprived of their human rights, a human who is being gripped by starvation, being beaten by famine, by war and by illness, a humiliated man, woman or child, a plundered human, is not in any position or state to recover the rights he or she has lost.

Know there is no other way for us as a world but to take the path of understanding, and to ensure that every human right for all humankind is observed, irrespective of gender, race, religion, nationality and social status.

I wait with anticipation.

(left)

A Palestinian is carried away after he was killed in the Gaza Strip December 11, 2003.

Israeli soldiers killed five Palestinians on Thursday during gun battles that erupted after an armored push into Rafah refugee camp to detain a member of the Islamic Jihad resistance group.

Palestinian officials identified the dead as four civilians, including a medic, and a gunman.

(right)

A Palestinian girl cries as she looks at the rubble of her home in the Rafah refugee camp which was demolished by the Israeli Army.

Norwegian
Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik Thursday hailed the controversial Nobel Lecture delivered by Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. In it, she criticized the US for abusing human rights in its war on terrorism.

Ebadi was the guest of honor in the prime minister's office Thursday morning. Like all other guests, she was treated to the view from his 16th floor office overlooking Oslo.

Bondevik praised Ebadi's speech on Wednesday before starting a private meeting with her, at which human rights was the main topic. The two also were expected to discuss Iran's upcoming elections in February.

Ebadi was escorted to the meeting by the director of Norway's Nobel Institute, Geir Lundestad. Also attending were Bondevik's two top advisers, Odd Jostein Saeter and Gunnar Husan, along with Norway's ambassador to Iran, Ole Kristian Holthe.

Ebadi was smiling and made it clear she enjoyed being in Norway. "I would like to congratulate you for being blessed with social equality, freedom of speech and freedom of the press," she told Bondevik. At Wednesday night's Nobel Banquet she called her award and reception in Norway "an honor... I will remember the rest of my life."

Bondevik was due to travel to Geneva later in the day to meet the president of Iran, Mohamad Khatami, in connection with an arrangement sponsored by an international church group.

Ebadi faced another busy day in Oslo after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday. Her schedule included a meeting with Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, lunch at the Iranian embassy in Oslo, a performance by Oslo school children and the annual Nobel Concert in Oslo Spektrum.

Iraqi children gather around one of the charred vehicles in front of Ahbab Al Mustafa Mosque in western Baghdad.

(right)

A view of the Fallouja area, where a US helicopter was downed.

The smoke came out of the wreckage.

Photos: AFP photo, Jordan Times, 12/10/03, Annahar, 12/10/03

Thursday 11 December 2003

Shirin Ebadi - biography

The Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi was born in 1947.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and her daughter wave to well-wishers from her hotel balcony in Oslo Wednesday evening.

PHOTO: SCANPIX

She received a law degree from the University of Tehran. In the years 1975-79 she served as president of the city court of Tehran, one the first female judges in Iran. After the revolution in 1979 she was forced to resign. She now works as a lawyer and also teaches at the University of Tehran.

Both in her research and as an activist, she is known for promoting peaceful, democratic solutions to serious problems in society. She takes an active part in the public debate and is well-known and admired by the general public in her country for her defence in court of victims of the conservative faction's attack on freedom of speech and political freedom.

Ebadi represents Reformed Islam, and argues for a new interpretation of Islamic law which is in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy, equality before the law, religious freedom and freedom of speech. As for religious freedom, it should be noted that Ebadi also includes the rights of members of the bahai community, which has had problems in Iran ever since its foundation.

Ebadi is an activist for refugee rights, as well as those of women and children. She is the founder and leader of the Association for Support of Children's Rights in Iran. Ebadi has written a number of academic books and articles focused on human rights. Among her books translated into English are The Rights of the Child. A Study of Legal Aspects of Children's Rights in Iran (Tehran, 1994), published with support from UNICEF, and History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran (New York, 2000).

As a lawyer, she has been involved in a number of controversial political cases. She was the attorney of the families of the writers and intellectuals who were victims of the serial murders in 1999-2000. She has worked actively - and successfully - to reveal the principals behind the attack on the students at Tehran University in 1999 where several students died. As a consequence, Ebadi has been imprisoned on numerous occasions.

With Islam as her starting point, Ebadi campaigns for peaceful solutions to social problems, and promotes new thinking on Islamic terms. She has displayed great personal courage as a lawyer defending individuals and groups who have fallen victim to a powerful political and legal system that is legitimized through an inhumane interpretation of Islam. Ebadi has shown her willingness and ability to cooperate with representatives of secular as well as religious views.

10/15/03
Shirin White Roses: Shirin Ebadi is with us and she is one of us!By Syma Sayyah, Tehran

The beautiful creamy moon light brightened this city of ours tonight. However, the light was coming from another direction, this one was brighter, stronger and had tremendous energy.

The core of Iranians' much-extended middle class Tehranies were at the airport tonight. Students, teachers, doctors, nurses, writers, journalists, artists, engineers, taxi drivers, housewives, retired people, factory owners and workers, managers, handicapped in chairs and even a couple of babies in their prams were all there.

Photo by Syma Sayyah

This was truly unprecedented since that of the Air France passenger's arrival so many years ago.

But the air, mixture of people, and may be because we were all there to greet and welcome a Lady of our time, reminded me of the March 8th 1979 when women, without any organizations, got together and staged the very first demonstration under the new regime from Tehran university to Shahyad square which is near the airport.

It was a great sense of nostalgia out there, for me at least, but I am sure I was not alone.

We checked it with many people who were familiar with crowd size and we took an average, there were about 20,000-25,000 people, give and take a couple of thousand max.

Photo by Syma Sayyah

I got home from my meeting just after 7:00 PM. I had arranged with my friends to meet in one place so that we could all leave together around 8:00 PM, as the plane was to land about 9:30.

I booked the taxi and told the agency that we would be keeping the cab for many hours. We had decided to take as few cars as possible.

By 8:00 the taxis had arrived, and a couple of friends were there with me, Golli a prominent writer & scholar and Ramin a very successful businessman.

Two of the others were stuck in the traffic and three phoned to say that they go there by separate taxis. Two others who wanted to come were persuaded to stay home, as they were very ill with the terrible flu that has been going on Tehran recently.

We got to the airport just under 9:00 PM. We saw people parking their cars as we came down the bridge from Ekbatan (a huge building complex which is almost a town).

It took us quite a few minutes to get down the airport's main entrance road; there we got off and agreed with the driver
to meet there some times later. There were people moving in all directions, as we started. The officers were telling people that SHE will arrive in terminal 3, but not many believed them!

Eventually the word got around that this was correct. Before we headed that way, I saw many police officers moving about and two groups of soldiers half-sitting half-standing near the junction between the terminals' road. It did make me
feel a little uneasy and worried. Thankfully, they were there for our safety and all went well!

Photo by Syma Sayyah

Everybody had come on his or her own initiatives. Somehow, the word had gotten around that as a sign of celebration for this wonderful and special occasion, ladies were to wear white or light/bright color head covers.

Almost everybody had done so, Golli convinced me to change my usual black one that I wear as a sign of quiet protest!

On our way, we had bought about 200 whites roses to throw on her path. As we were walking towards the terminal, Ramin kindly obliged a few ladies with a flower each. Then others came and asked for a white rose. We looked at each other and decided without saying much that these are Shirin Roses, so we gave them almost all to everybody that we passed.

Many others had done the same and had brought their own flowers. I found Ladies wearing white head-scarf with a white flower in their hand, a most moving sign of hope.

Yet, it sent shivers down my spine. We have been here before some 7 years back. People's hopes and expectations did not
come true as it was supposed to have.

My heart deeply aches for Ms. Ebadi who has to carry on her shoulders the burden of hopes of so many thousands of her fellow country folks.

I wish her strength, vitality and power to carry this heavy task before her.

She knows that she can count on so many and we are all behind her like a wall of support, help and love. But it's her hour and her call.

The good thing, this time, is that not only she is with us but she is also one of us too!

Photo by Syma Sayyah

At the airport, it was so moving, mother and daughters, aunts and uncles, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, friends and colleagues all alike.

There were so many people scattered all around the huge parking lot. It felt like that we were all members of the same family.

On our way, someone somewhat jokingly asked: "is it true that the princess is coming!"

So many times people started to clap yet there was no sign of them. Eventually at about 10:30 PM she came out very briefly and said a few things, but I doubt if anyone heard what she said.

It did not matter; we shall read it tomorrow, what mattered most was that we were there.

The so many thousands of us from different walks of life. I saw people I had not seen for very long time. It was indeed very great to feel the bound that had brought us all there.

Afsaneh Norouzi Azad bayed gardadd — Afsaneh Norouzi must be freed — she is sentenced to death for killing a man. A big demonstration for her case was to be held tomorrow in Park Lalah, but since it was not given the necessary permit it cannot take place.

Shirin Ebadi in her first news conference after return to Iran denounces violence
In her first news conference after returning to Iran, Shirin Ebadi said the Iranians seek peace and despise violence, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported from Tehran. Ms. Ebadi also stated that her prize belongs to all the people who have worked and are working for human rights, democracy and peace in Iran.